


to build a home

by wildheartly



Series: TO BUILD A HOME [1]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: (?), And at summaries, Andrew Minyard Has Feelings, Angst, Cancer, Constructive Criticism Welcome, Fluff, How Do I Tag, I'm Bad At Tagging, im sorry, twinyards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:37:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24710155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildheartly/pseuds/wildheartly
Summary: It's been six months since Nicky was diagnosed with stage five cancer.
Relationships: Aaron Minyard & Andrew Minyard, Katelyn/Aaron Minyard, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, Nicky Hemmick & Aaron Minyard & Andrew Minyard
Series: TO BUILD A HOME [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1786495
Comments: 6
Kudos: 37





	to build a home

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guyss, hope you guys are doing okay during quarantine!!
> 
> This is the first time i post something here and i apologize in advance  
> Also, english isn't my first language sooo sorry for the mistakes this might have  
> Constructive criticism is *really* welcome and i hope you guys enjoy it :)
> 
> this work and series is inspired by the song "to build a home" by the cinematic orchestra

Andrew wrapped his cold fingers around the terrible hospital coffee Katelyn had bought. It’s been just a little over an hour since he got here with Neil, Aaron arrived just a few minutes later, his two years olds and Katelyn by his side. Her presence doesn’t annoy Andrew anymore, five years ago, when his brother asked her to marry him, he kind of had to suck it up and get used to having her around if he didn’t want to lose him.  
As he sat there besides Neil, watching his junkie play with one of his nieces, he was glad he decided to do what it took to keep Aaron as a part of his life.

  
“You guys can go in now, if you want to” Erik said, Andrew was so distracted that he didn’t notice the moment the older man entered the waiting room. He looked at Erik’s face as he got up from the plastic seat. The man looked like shit. The redness on his eyes, the paleness on his usually red cheeks and the defeated look on his face gave away what Andrew already knew: this time, Nicky wouldn’t come back home.

  
He knew from the moment he got Aaron’s phone call in the middle of the night. When his twin whispered “Erik called” he thought Nicky was already dead, Neil had to pry the phone from his clenching hand and figure out what was happening. The relief he felt when his partner told him his cousin was in the hospital would have bothered him if every part of him wasn’t taken up by it. At least he would be able to say goodbye.

  
It’s been six months since Nicky was diagnosed with stage five cancer. At the time, he didn’t want to tell anyone about it, saying that it would only cause unneeded sadness, but Erik changed his mind.

  
Nicky flew back to america to tell his cousins about it, the three of them were sitting on Aaron’s kitchen table. Andrew remembers the calm expression in Nicky’s eyes when he told them about his disease, how it had already spread to his blood and how treatment would only cause unnecessary pain. He also remembers the strangled noise that came out of his brother’s throat, how Aaron had gotten up from his seat, wrapped himself around Nicky and sobbed. Andrew didn’t say anything, his own throat stiff and hurting, so he extended his hand across the table and gripped Nicky’s, letting his forehead rest on top of them.

  
If it had happened a few years ago his reaction would have been very different, he probably would’ve pulled on his flat stare and stormed out to chain smoke three packs of cigarettes, trying to repress and reject the grief, turning it into anger. But he wasn’t in that place anymore, the anger he used to hide what he actually felt just didn’t fit his life now. The years spent doing therapy and letting Neil into his life helped him open up to feelings he avoided his whole life. He was glad about it, those feelings may have been dangerous in the past, but now that he had a family, a home, being vulnerable was no longer something he needed to fear.

  
“Andrew” Aaron called “come on, let’s go see him” Andrew snapped his head back at his twin, he had been staring at Erik for more time then would be considered normal by now. He gave the man in front of him one last glance before following his brother through the corridor that lead to Nicky’s room. Neil and Katelyn stayed with the kids in the waiting room, knowing that this was something their partners needed to do without them.

  
Aaron stopped right in front of a white door and looked back at his brother, silently asking if he was ready before taking a deep breath and twisting the door handle.

  
Nicky was laying in a hospital bed that looked too big in contrast to his now skinny body. He averted his gaze to the door when his cousins entered the room, opening a small smile that made Andrew’s heart sink in his chest. It was painful, seeing Nicky like that. He was too used to Nicky being loud and happy. Seeing him so dejected hurt much more than Andrew had anticipated. But he pushed the hurt to the back of his mind and forced his feet to move, pushing Aaron to do the same.

  
“When i asked to see my favourite twins i was talking about Aaron’s daughters, not you two” Nicky saidin fake annoyance, attempting to break the somber mood in the room, but his weak and cracking voice only added to it. Aaron tried to go with it, letting out a bit of air through his nose before sitting besides his cousin on the bed.

  
“Well, guess you’ll have to put up with us” Andrew said

  
“He put up with fourteen year old us, dealing with us right now is nothing compared to that.” Aaron attempt at a joke ended up putting a frown in Nicky’s face.

  
But it was true, fifteen years ago, when Nicky left his dreams of going back to germany and Erik to take care of his cousins at only eighteen, they were a complete wreck. Aaron was still processing Tilda’s death and his drug addiction, Andrew wouldn’t even talk the first year he lived with his brother and cousin. But Nicky made it work, somehow. He got himself two jobs and gave his best to make sure the nothing lacked in the household, all while he tried to give two broken boys a home.

  
Nor Andrew or Aaron knew how Nicky did it. Looking back at it, Nicky gave up everything that made him happy to take care of them. To make sure they didn’t suffer any more than they already had.

  
“I would do it again, you know?” Nicky whispered “If i had the chance to go back i would do it all again, but better”

  
“There’s no way you could have been better to us in that situation” Andrew answered, sitting on the mattress edge and rested a hand on Nicky’s shin. He looked at his cousin’s pale face in time to see him shaking his head softly.

  
“Andrew’s right, Nick.” Aaron tried, in vain to change the sad look on his face “You did everything in your power to make sure we were the closest to fine we could get at that time.” Nicky kept shaking his head.

  
Nicky didn’t have to say it out loud for Andrew to understand. He has always known that Nicky thought he should’ve tried harder to understand the twins, but at that time no amount of effort could’ve made them open up. He also knew that Nicky internalized the blame for what happened with Drake before thanksgiving and for his father’s dismay regarding the way Aaron was treated by Tilda.

  
“Do you…” Andrew heard his brother mutter “do you remember that time you picked me up from school early because I feigned a headache?  
“And we got home and you called me on my bullshit because you noticed there was more to it? And, after you made me spill what was on my mind, you held me while I cried about Tilda?  
“Nicky, it was the first time since my early childhood years that someone noticed anything about my well-being and did something about it. And I know you did it for Andrew too, although it was in other ways”

The older man just sat there, looking at his hands with his lips pursed, undoubtedly holding back tears. The three of them rarely talked openly about things that happened in the time they lived together at the house in Columbia. And now that all of the pain they endured was behind, it felt kind of nice to remember the good moments they shared there, even though there weren’t many.

  
“There was that time that you filled the freezer with pints of my favourite ice cream” Andrew added, surprising the others in the room. He never told Nicky, but he knew that his cousin bought the unreasonable amount of ice cream because he was woken up by Andrew’s scream at night. It was the worst nightmare he had in a while.

  
“Oh god, i definitely remember it. You ate it all in the span of two days and ended up with the world’s nastiest stomachache!” Nicky’s laughter cheered the room up, making Aaron laugh. Andrew smiled softly at the scene in front of him, he was sad and happy at the same time. It felt good to be able to talk about memories of that time without wanting to shut off, but now that they shared this moment he wished they had more time to make new ones. How bittersweet, he thought.

  
They knew that, if they had anything to say, they should say it, while they still had the chance. But after the laughter died down they stayed there, looking at each other with longing in their eyes for the following minutes, all thinking the same thing.

  
Nicky pushed himself up with his arms - they looked so fragile, Andrew was afraid they’d break - and cleared his throat.

  
“I just- just wanted to tell you guys that i’m glad i decided to become your guardian, i’m really proud of the men you became. I love you and you’ll be fine without me.” He said with a even voice “Now go get my nieces i want to see them”

  
“Nicky…” Aaron choked out, but Nicky wasn’t having it. The man shook his head and pointed to the door.

  
“Bring Neil and katelyn too. God, it’s been too long since i last saw that red head of Josten”

  
“You saw him last week” Andrew replied

  
“Shush. Now go, Aaron!”

  
Aaron squeezed his cousins shoulder and got up, reluctantly leaving the room. After hearing the door close, Andrew averted his gaze back to nicky and gave his shin a little shake.

  
“I never thanked you,” he took a deep breath before continuing “anyone in your place would’ve given up”

  
“You don’t have to”

  
“Yeah, I kind of do- don’t interrupt me, okay?” Nicky shook his head, sinalyzing that he understood “You… you gave up Germany and Erik and basically everything you ever wanted to take care of us. At the time i wasn’t able to acknowledge it, but I am now.”

  
Andrew looked at Nicky’s face. He could feel that strange feeling again, it made his heart heavy and soft at the same time. He could feel it spreading from his chest to the rest of his body, making his throat close up and his eyes sting.

  
“You built us a home out of nothing.”

  
Nicky was smiling at him at him through teary eyes, and Andrew almost regretted what he said. Almost. Mainly he didn’t believe in regret and maybe because it was true. Before Nicky could say anything, the door opened and two blond heads popped in, so he just extended his hand and grabbed Andrew’s, squeezing it tight.


End file.
